Riverside
by penguin-empress
Summary: The small town of Riverside is thrown into chaos after the death of one of the rich and popular Mitchell twins on the 4th of July. As a new school year begins, nothing feels the same. James Kirk and his friends begin exploring the surrealism of small town life and all the darkness that lays just beneath Riverside's quaint facade.
1. The English River

There wasn't much to the small town of Riverside, Iowa. Its welcome sign proudly claimed it to be 'Where the best begins!' even if the only thing worth boasting about was the half built starship sitting in the Riverside Shipyard.

There was an idea of Riverside, of what kind of town it was, what sort of families lived there. A notion that it existed, unchanged and unchanging, as if frozen in a time-capsule. That it must be _exactly_ how it presented itself to the outside world - safe, decent, innocent.

The suburban streets gave way to Riverdale's main street where storefronts and local businesses stood. Every building appeared as they had before the Eugenics War. A diner that looked like it was taken straight out of a history book about post-World War II America. The holovid theatre was the newest thing on the street and even that was a couple decades old.

If one were looking at Riverside from the window of a hovercar, rushing by, one might wish to live there. But that's only one aspect of it - only the surface. The truth is, if one really wanted to understand Riverside - and what kind of place it is - one has to know about the shadows, the town _beneath _the town.

So, one must start with what the Mitchell twins did this summer down by the English River.

A red hovercar crested the hill overlooking the English River before it came to a smooth stop just a few feet from the water's edge. Alexander Courage's 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' played quietly from the car's stereo as two teenagers stepped out of the car.

Gary and Carol Mitchell were two dark haired beauties dressed in simple, elegant white clothes as they made their way to the river. They looked out at the river's shimmering, rippling surface before they walked towards a small row boat lying on the riverbank.

As they neared the boat, Carol hesitated.

"Are you scared, Carrie?" Gary asked her.

Looking at her brother, she saw no fear or doubt in his eyes. She couldn't possibly back out on her brother - not now. She shook her head and took his hand. Gary smiled and led her to the rowboat.

The song played on through the hovercar's open doors.

On the fourth of July, just after dawn, Gary and Carol Mitchell drove out to the English River for an early morning boat ride, as was their custom. Everything was as it always had been.

At least, it was until Kevin Riley guided a troop of Star Scouts along the river's edge and found Carol Mitchell huddled by the water. Her knees were tucked under her chin, arms around her legs, shivering from the water that soaked through her. The scouts stopped short when they saw her, with her usually perfect face ruined by the mascara running wild down her cheeks.

"Carol?" Riley called out tentatively. "Jaysus, you a'right?"

She turned to face them fully but her eyes seemed to peer straight through them. "G… Gary."

Riley glanced out at the river to see the Mitchell's upturned row boat in the middle of the river banging against rocks a little ways downstream. When he focused back on Carol he found her staring numbly at the water on the verge of shock.

A few hours later, a police boat floated in the water by the rocks while Detective Mendez drank from a mug and watched scuba divers jump into the water. The Riverside Police dragged the river for Gary's body, but hours of searching had turned up nothing.

Practically every family in the area gathered on the shore behind the police tape.

The McCoys, Rayna and her husband Finney stood side-by-side slightly apart from the rest of the Riverside citizens. Their son, Leonard "Bones" McCoy was leaning against a nearby tree watching the police work in silence.

"They'll never find him," Finney said and wrapped an arm around his wife more out of habit than comfort. "Not with that undercurrent."

"Awful to say, but I hope he suffered in those last moments," Rayna replied coolly.

Needless to say, there were no fireworks in Riverside that night.

A week later, the Mitchell family buried an empty casket and Gary's death was ruled an accident as Carol's story made the rounds. She claimed that their morning idyll turned tragic when Carol dropped a glove in the water. When Gary reached down to get it, the boat flipped. Gary panicked and drowned.

As for the rest of Riverside, we were still talking about the July Fourth Tragedy on the last day of summer vacation when a new mystery rolled into town.

(***)

A black hovercar landed in front of the only high end apartment building in Riverside. It had only been built three years ago and, thanks to an anonymous backer, was able to afford state-of-the-art technology for every room.

"Now, brace yourself," a woman stated with the faintest hint of a smile on her lips as she exited the hovercar. "Ish-veh tor wuh pi' ha-shal*. But quality, always."

The woman wore a headscarf that covered most of her head but a few strands of black hair still fell loosely upon her shoulders. Her maroon dress was Vulcan in its modest and simple design.

A tall young man with pointed ears and pale green skin stepped out of the car to look upon their new residence. His expression remained stoic as he turned to nod in agreement with his mother.

She smiled reassuringly. "It's the only piece of property in my name and not your father's."

"I am aware, Mother," he replied bluntly.

Chuckling, the woman turned her attention to an older man who strode excitedly towards her.

"Ms. Amanda Grayson! Welcome home," the man greeted warmly as he reached them.

Amanda pulled the man in for a brief hug before pulling back to introduce him to her son. "Smithers, you are a sight for sore eyes. Oh, this is my son, Spock."

Spock silently raised a hand in the Vulcan greeting, ta'al, which Smithers returned easily.

The two men grabbed the few suitcases that sat in the trunk of the hovercar before following Amanda into the apartment building.

Once inside their own apartment, Spock began to unpack quickly and efficiently. There was no reason to put it off, for the sooner they were unpacked the sooner they could start working on other aspects of 'settling in', as his mother called it.

Even as he returned for the last suitcase, Spock was already in the midst of formulating ways in which he could continue his experiments while away from Vulcan. Before he could retrieve the last of their luggage, however, he overheard some of his mother and Smithers' conversation. Not that he was eavesdropping, that would be unbecoming of a Vulcan.

"I have been craving one of Keeler's veggie burgers since noon," his mother was saying in a way that indicated that she was feeling nostalgic. "Is her Chock'lit Shoppe still open?"

Spock frowned before straightening out his shirt. "Why would you wish for us to partake in the consumption of either chocolate or a traditionally meat-based food product?"

Amanda shared a knowing smile with their doorman before turning back to face her son.

(***)

Leonard McCoy sat at his desk pouring over a medical textbook he'd received over the summer. It had been so quiet in the room, he had almost forgotten that he had company. That was until Hikaru decided to flop dramatically onto his bed.

"Are you excited? Nervous? Both?" Hikaru asked as he all but bounced on McCoy's bed.

"What are you going on about?" McCoy grumbled. The flailing stopped suddenly and McCoy sighed before turning his constant glare on his friend. He found Hikaru smiling and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. McCoy threw one of his pens at the Asian and shouted, "You damn idiot, I've told you a thousand times. Jim and I are _not_ dating, you fuckwit."

Hikaru began laughing so hard he nearly fell off the bed. When he finally gained some modicum of control, McCoy rolled his eyes and focused back on the textbook. Just before he could find the place he'd left off at, Hikaru muttered a somber, "Holy shit".

The seriousness in his tone made McCoy pause momentarily before turning towards his friend. He found Hikaru staring in shocked silence out his only bedroom window that looked out onto the front yard and into James T. Kirk's window across the street.

McCoy rushed to the window to see a haggard, shirtless blond standing in Jim's window. The man had Jim's blue eyes and messy golden hair but his chest was entirely too thin and his face too haunting to be the same boy.

Without a second thought, McCoy grabbed his communicator and called Jim. He watched in disbelief as the strange man across the road picked up his own communicator.

A tired voice answered, "Hello?"

There was a moment where Leonard just stared at his childhood friend before he snapped out of it. "Jim, you fucking idiot. You're going to be the death of me! I swear, I leave you alone for one damn summer and this is what I come back to? I've got half a mind to give you fifty damn hypos just for this bullshit."

Across the road, Jim had taken the phone slightly away from his ear so that McCoy's ranting wouldn't seriously damage his hearing. Once the tirade was over, he slowly turned around to blink owlishly at McCoy and Hikaru. He smiled wearily as he waved at them. "Missed you, too, Bones."

Hikaru followed a grumbling McCoy and a distant Jim all the way to Keeler's where he left them to try his luck with a new Russian exchange student who was still baffled by the ancient diner even though he'd been in every day for the past month and a half.

"So," Jim shrugged half-heartedly. Silence fell between them as Bones waited patiently to hear Jim's story. When Jim finally spoke up it was not what Bones had been expecting to hear. "What was the highlight of your internship?"

Bones only barely resisted the urge to smack his friend. "I got to work with Dr. M'Benga and Dr. Phillip Boyce. It was in-depth and made me beyond certain that I want to be a doctor. Now, what in blazes happened to you, Jim?"

Tension built up between them in the seconds that passed before Jim sighed in defeat. He leaned forward with his elbows resting on the table between them and whispered, "You cannot tell anyone about this and we will only discuss it in depth when we're alone. Understood?"

"Yes, _Captain_," Bones said sarcastically in an attempt to lighten the mood but Jim continued to stare at him with an intensity he'd never seen on the blond before. "Okay, okay. I understand, Jim."

Jim swallowed hard and looked down at his hands lying on the table. When he looked up, there was a darkness in his eyes that made Bones inhale sharply. Jim opened his mouth shakily, when the door to the diner opened and Jim's eyes zeroed in on something behind Bones. Whatever secrets he'd been about to expose were going to remain buried it seemed since his jaw had practically unhinged from his skull and was now lying uselessly on the table.

Glancing back, Bones saw a Vulcan about their age purposely striding towards Edith Keeler. He turned back to find Jim watching the alien with rapt attention.

With a heavy sigh he waited for Jim to snap out of it. "Really, Jimbo? A hobgoblin? Well, I won't stop you but pretty sure you're about to drown him in all that drool of yours."

Jim's mouth snapped closed and he blindly reached over to smack Bones on the arm. "I wasn't drooling and hush! Vulcans have insane hearing," he chastised as he tried to casually wipe at his mouth, just in case.

"Eh, who cares? Come on, out with it," Bones tried to get back to their previous conversation. But when Jim's eyes widened and a blush crept up his cheeks, Bones knew they wouldn't be discussing Jim's summer for a while. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the pointy-eared bastard standing beside their table. Bones turned to fully face their newest arrival with a grouchy look.

"Pardon me," the Vulcan said directly to Jim with a slight rise to one eyebrow. "I noticed that you appear malnourished and wished to inquire if you may need credits to purchase food."

Jim's mouth opened and closed several times without managing to say anything. Bones rolled his eyes before kicking his friend's leg under the table. Jim winced and shot Bones a glare before finally speaking, "No, no. I'm fine. I mean, I'm not _fine_, obviously. But I mean I don't need your credits. Not that there's anything wrong with your's specifically, I just mean… I…"

He turned to Bones for help. "He's got credits. He's malnourished because he doesn't know how to take care of himself. And he's babbling like an idiot because he doesn't know how to keep it in his pants."

Bones had one joyous second to appreciate the look of pure, unadulterated humiliation that colored Jim's face before he slammed his face into the table to hide from the hobgoblin.

The Vulcan's eyebrow shot up a little more before he turned and walked back to the counter without another word.

"Gee, thanks, Bones," Jim muttered dejectedly, his face still lying on the table.

McCoy waved his hand in the air. "Any time, Jimmy Boy. Now, come on. Out with it."

Jim rested his forehead on his folded arms without a word. After a minute, Jim moved so that he could look at Bones over his arms. His eyes were sunken with dark bags under them like he hadn't slept in days.

"Okay, okay," Jim mumbled more to himself. "My mom decided to take me with her on her last mission, you know? And we were supposed to be going to Andoria for some diplomatic-whatever, when she had to leave me to go handle some important classified case on Elba II. Something to do with the criminally insane and a possible cure she helped create. There's not that many mentally ill living there but it was a huge break through and... I don't know, it's not that important."

Bones waited as Jim moved to lean back in his seat and rub his hands down his face. Once Jim had stopped moving, he sat staring blankly at the salt and pepper shakers on the table.

"I wasn't allowed to come with her due to some Starfleet policy and was told to stay behind," Jim continued in an uncharacteristic monotone. Bones leaned in, listening with rapt attention, his frown deepening with every word.

They were both startled out of their conversation as a large plate with a small burger was placed in front of Jim along with a bowl of salad and a plate with two slices of bread. He and Bones shared a look before looking up at the Vulcan who had brought them the food they had not ordered.

Jim glanced from the Vulcan to the food and back in stunned silence. Even Bones wasn't quite sure what to say.

"This is the suggested amount of food for a human male to consume should he suffer from starvation or malnourishment," the Vulcan stated bluntly.

It was Bones' turn to gape at the Vulcan. "What? How? Why? I just… What?" he spluttered. "Just who the hell are you?"

"S'chn T'gai Spock, but most humans prefer to simply refer to me as Spock."

Before McCoy could begin the rant Jim knew was coming, Jim cut in. "I'm James Kirk but most everybody refers to me as Jim and this ray of sunshine is Leonard McCoy. Did you just move here or are you just passing through?"

That eyebrow raised again and Jim's lips twitched as he tried not to smile like an idiot. "By 'here' I assume you refer to the town and not this dining establishment. In which case, yes, I have just moved to this town with my mother. I will be attending Riverside High School as a sophomore. I gather you two also attend this Terran school?"

Bones narrowed his eyes. "Did you just do some Vulcan mind voodoo on us to figure that out?"

"Uh, Bones," Jim chuckled as he gestured at their clothing. Bones' shirt had the Riverside High logo while Jim wore his letterman jacket. "I don't think that would be necessary."

McCoy grumbled out some profane insults and Jim wasn't quite sure if it was directed at him or their new classmate.

Shaking his head, he focused back on Spock.

"I highly suggest you eat, Mr. Kirk," Spock insisted. There was something in those brown eyes for a split second, but it was gone before Jim could identify the emotion. "Mr. McCoy, I believe you are to be my peer mentor tomorrow. I shall see you then."

With that he started to walk away.

Jim floundered before calling out a little too loudly, "Wait, do you want to join us?"

Spock turned back around with both eyebrows slightly raised. "My mother is waiting for me," the Vulcan stated concisely.

"Leonard," Jim said seriously, once the Vulcan had left the building.

"James," Bones sighed, "don't say it."

Jim slid the burger out of his way and stated with conviction, "I'm in love."

Bones threw a sugar packet at his friend before attempting to get Jim back to their original topic.

"Oh, yeah," Jim muttered before taking a bite of the salad. "So, mom left me on this planet while she was gone and it was, um..." He swallowed before leaning forward and whispering, "It was… It was fine at first, but then things were bad. They were really bad and I was… I was… I was there, Bones. I was there... on Tarsus IV."

His voice caught on that one word and McCoy froze. Without a word, he stood up and slid into the booth next to Jim. He threw an arm around his friend and pulled him close. Jim allowed himself to be embraced as he rested his head on Bones' shoulder.

From across the restaurant, Hikaru snickered to Chekov, "Not dating, my ass."

(***)

The next morning, Jim woke up late since he'd failed to reset his alarm clock. He rolled out of bed and rushed through his morning routine before stumbling down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Mornin', son," Christopher Pike greeted without looking up from his PADD.

Jim grabbed a slice of toast off Pike's plate before backtracking to retrieve his backpack. "Hey, Pike. First day of school and I'm already late." He leaned down to pat his dog on the head and greeted it, "Mornin', Tribble."

"You want to talk?" Pike said, finally glancing up from his PADD. When Jim froze, Pike continued, "Just, whenever you feel like it, I'm here, kid."

Not knowing what to say, Jim swept out the door to find McCoy waiting on the front steps. They nodded in greeting to one another before McCoy reached into his bag and shoved an apple into Jim's empty hand.

"Eat," Bones ordered grumpily.

Jim took a large bite out of the apple before spitting it out. With a grimace, he tossed it behind him. Bones glared at him but Jim elected to ignore it in favor of chewing determinedly on the toast he'd stolen from Pike.

They walked in tense silence for a minute before Bones began rambling. "My mother believes I need more extracurricular activities to even be remotely eligible for med school. Crazy, old woman also thinks my grades are too low. Hell, you're the only one with better grades than me and that's only because of those damn xenolinguistics classes we took. Should never have let you talk me into that."

There was a chuckle to his side and when he looked he found Jim shaking his head in amusement.

"Don't laugh, you bastard," Bones grumbled good-naturedly. "It's your fault she's on my ass about this shit. Dunno what you said to my parents to make them hate you so much."

Jim shrugged. He honestly couldn't think of a time when Bones' parents hadn't hated his guts. It was like a basic fact of the universe: the Earth revolved around the sun; Andorians were blue; Rayna and Finney McCoy hated Jim Kirk. There was probably an equation he could write to explain why certain people hated him, he could call it the Kirk Anomaly.

"Apparently, coming home seven minutes after curfew is the equivalent of being strung out on drugs," Bones grumbled. "Hell, she thinks you're as bad as Gary Mitchell."

"She really hates the Mitchell's doesn't she?" Jim muttered.

Bones snorted in answer. "Even more so after Elizabeth."

Silence fell on them again as the school came into view. When they stood in front of the school's doors, Jim grabbed Bones' arm to hold him back. "Have they let you talk to your sister?"

The look of resignation answered his question. Jim pulled Bones in for a quick side hug before they entered the school. Once inside, Jim was swept away by his Parrises Squares teammates while Bones meandered through the hallways looking for the Vulcan he was supposed to show around.

He found the Vulcan at the front office secretary's desk waiting for him with those expressionless eyes.

"Come on," Bones ordered gruffly, ignoring the pointed look the secretary threw his way. Turning, he walked purposely back down the hall without looking behind him. "Alright, let's get this over with. What do you wanna know, hobgoblin?"

The Vulcan followed a few steps behind. "My name is Spock, as I told you eleven point four three two hours ago. Furthermore, I wish to know where my classes will be as I was unable to find a map of the school anywhere. I suspect there are no modern electronic devices within this school that could point me to my destinations."

"Riverside was established in 1872 and the town hasn't been updated since," McCoy grumbled as he slowed down. Looking back, he saw the Vulcan's eyebrow raise in question. "It's a joke. What? Vulcans don't have a sense of humor? Who'd have thought?"

He slowed down as they reached a fork in the hallway. A left would take them to the gym where Jim was most likely explaining to Captain Riker why he couldn't participate in any sports this year due to his summer activities. A right would take them to a majority of the classrooms and an outdated science lab.

With a moment's hesitation and a grunt, he turned right.

They had just finished a tour of the pathetic science lab and were about to head down another hallway of classrooms on their way to the cafeteria when Hikaru swung around a corner.

"So, where were we?" he asked with a cheeky smile.

Bones and Spock stopped short when they saw him. Spock merely arched an eyebrow while McCoy proceeded to mutter insults under his breath.

Slinging an arm around McCoy's shoulder, Sulu took over the tour. "Alright, so I bet Boner here hasn't told you any of the really important stuff. Am I right?" He didn't pause for an answer, just kept talking. "Well, here's the deal. The only night scene around here is a strip club called the Greased Pole and a tragic gay bar called The Manhole. Friday nights are Parrises Squares nights and afterwards everyone gathers at Keller's for milkshakes and burgers. Saturday night is movie night, regardless of what's playing. And, before you ask, no, there is no reserved seating in Riverside. And Sunday nights, just thank your lucky stars that Kirk's back, otherwise we'd all die of boredom."

"Kirk? The emaciated young man whom you were in the diner with, correct?" the Vulcan inquired of McCoy with a nod down the hall.

The two humans turned to see Jim talking and laughing to Christine Chapel whose blonde curls were elegantly pinned atop her head. Christine noticed them first and waved; her shift in focus caused Jim to glance behind him.

Sulu snorted. "Yeah, he and Bones are totally dating."

Bones elbowed Sulu hard in the gut. "Stop spreading lies, dumbass."

"Hikaru, you keep telling people I'm dating Bones and the next time I see Chekov I'll be sure to inform him you have an STI," the threat came from the deep voice of James Kirk who'd made his way down the hall. He smiled kindly at Spock before adding, "Thank you for dinner last night, Mr. Spock."

"No fucking way," Sulu gasped glancing between the two. A deviant smile spread across his face before he took off down the hallway with a maniacal laugh.

Bones snickered. "Sorry, Jimbo, looks like I'm single again. Good luck with your new boyfriend."

Jim shook his head with a fond smile as Christine blew off Bones's flirty wink. When he turned back to look at the alien standing a few feet away he smiled sheepishly. "Hope you're not too upset with me, but I think I just ruined any chances you had at getting a girlfriend."

A raised brow and a tilt of the head was all he got in response.

(***)

Jim broke away from his friends and slipped into a room he thought was empty only to find three girls getting ready for their band practice. A dark-skinned girl with long, sleek hair tied into a ponytail and a female Vulcan with her braided hair pinned up turned to glare at him while the last band member, an Orion with wild red hair, waved flirtatiously at him.

"Uhura," Jim greeted weakly, scrambling momentarily to remember the girl's name, "and _Sehlats_."

The cold look in Uhura's eyes made him sigh as he prepared himself for the tirade she was about to go on. He really just wanted a place to rest for a bit, he did not want to set Uhura off so early in the day.

"Look, I was just trying to … " he started.

Uhura held a hand up to stop him. "Listen, Kirk, you're staring at our sehlat ears, and that's rude." He swore he wasn't. "But let me break this down for you. The _Sehlats_ are building a brand, we're creating something amazing. That does not include dating. Period."

"Indeed not," T'Pring agreed as she continued to tune her Vulcan lyre.

The Orion, Gaila, rolled her eyes dramatically before winking at him.

Jim tried desperately not to roll his eyes, too, he knew how important this band was to all three of them but he did not have time to deal with Uhura. "I just wanted to rest for a second, I didn't realize you were in here. I'm sorry. Just please save the lecture for another time, I cannot deal with it right now."

Brows furrowed, Uhura looked at him closely. She took in his sunken cheeks and the dark circles under his eyes. When she spoke again there was genuine concern in her voice, "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

He waved her off and returned to the hallway where his friends immediately caught sight of him. With a quiet groan he rejoined his teammates.

(***)

"Not that you'll care, I'm sure it's highly illogical," Bones was telling Spock as they continued their tour, "but there is going to be a semi-formal Back-to-School dance this weekend. Maybe you could ask your new boyfriend to the dance."

The Vulcan tilted his head in momentary confusion before nodding in understanding. "You speak of James Kirk. I do not believe us to be actually dating, merely a misunderstanding between Mr. Sulu and Mr. Kirk."

Bones rolled his eyes, leave it to a Vulcan to ruin a good joke. "Oh well, the dance will probably be cancelled because of what happened to Gary. They're going to tell us at the assembly."

Spock blinked at him. "Who is this Gary and what happened to him? If I may inquire this information from you."

There was a brief pause before Bones laughed incredulously. "You haven't talked to many people have you? Alright, here's what happened…"

By the time they made it to the gymnasium for the assembly, Spock was fully caught up on all the rumors and theories surrounding the July Fourth Tragedy. He had deemed most of the student's wild theories as illogical and highly improbable.

They took a seat beside a haggard James Kirk who nodded sullenly in greeting. Bones sat between the two and Jim flashed him a brief smirk.

"Bones, I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be sitting next to my boyfriend," he joked.

"Fuck off," Bones grumbled in return. He really wanted to pull out the tricorder he'd gotten over the summer and scan his best friend. Maybe give him a few good hypos he'd gotten from the nurse to the neck just for good measure. But he knew it would be useless; Jim was eating properly from what he had seen. No, Jim's problems weren't something he could solve with basic medicine.

Spock raised an eyebrow at the gruff brunet's words but proceeded to ignore them, having grown used to his harsh demeanor towards those he considered close. He caught Kirk's eye and quickly controlled his body's attempt to blush at the sight of the young man's lopsided grin. Sitting a little straighter, Spock was determined to keep his eyes forward, unused to the foreign feeling fluttering in his stomach.

A young woman with short dyed blonde hair stepped onto the stage with a flourish. Spock believed her plaid skirt to be at least four point three five inches too short according to the school's dress code. Her shirt appeared to also be too small as it exposed her midriff. Such fashion was frowned upon on Vulcan but none of the humans around him appeared affronted by it.

He turned to ask Leonard McCoy about the woman's dress code violations when the woman spoke up with a grief stricken voice.

"Many of you were lucky enough to have known my brother personally. Each and every one of you meant the world to Gary. I loved him so much. He was and always will be my soulmate," she said with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

Spock raised an eyebrow, he had never heard of a soulmate being a relative. Yet another query to inquire of after the assembly.

The woman continued, "So, I speak with confidence only a twin could have. Gary would not want us to spend the year mourning. He would want us to move on with our lives."

The faint sound of tapping at a keyboard caused Spock to glance over to where a young man sat wearing a strange headpiece, tapping at the laptop in his lap. The boy never once took his eyes off the stage even as he typed rapidly.

"Which is why I've asked the school board _not_ to cancel the Back-to-School semi-formal. But rather to let us use it as a chance to celebrate my brother's too short life. Thank you all." With that the young woman stepped off the stage while dabbing gently at her eyes with a tissue.

Spock turned to find Leonard and Jim whispering and pointing at a young blonde teacher in the front row. He refused to eavesdrop and merely waited until they were done to ask McCoy his questions.

He turned to find the boy with the laptop staring at him with an odd expression.

A raised eyebrow seemed to be misinterpreted as an invitation to come over as the man gathered up his belongings and made his way to the Vulcan's side.

"Oi, who the fook are you and whit are ye lookin' at?" he asked when he was within hearing range.

Jim's laugh floated over them and Spock was intrigued by the sound in a most unprofessional manner. "This is Mr. Spock, he's new here. Mister Spock, this angry little Scotsman is Montgomery Scott. We like to call him Scotty, though. He and Bones are in charge of the school's newspaper, _The Red and Gold_."

Spock glanced at the gruff man beside him. "I did not think you a journalist, Mr. McCoy."

"I'm not, my parents are. They insisted that it would make my transcripts look better, I think it's just a waste of time," McCoy griped.

"It's nae a waste," Scotty said with authority before smirking at Kirk. "You gonnae tak' yer new boyfriend tae the dance since it's back oan?"

Jim's face turned a vibrant shade of pink before he recovered with a confident smile. "News travels fast, huh? Well, if you'll give me the honor Mister Spock, I'd love to take you to the dance this weekend."

Logic told him the dance would impede on his experiments and there was no real benefit to going to the dance. Logic told him that Kirk was merely joking. Logic told him no. So, it was to everyone's immense surprise when he answered with an affirmative nod of his head and a slight flush to his cheeks. He was clearly emotionally compromised, he needed to meditate as soon as the opportunity arose.

(***)

Chris Pike walked to the George Kirk Shipyard to check on the starship Enterprise's construction when he caught sight of a dark haired woman he hadn't seen in almost two decades.

"Amanda Grayson," he said with a chuckle. "My day just got interesting."

The woman turned to regard him with a friendly smile and a ta'al. "Hello, Chris. How are you?"

Chris returned her Vulcan greeting before answering. "Surprised. Can I get you anything?" They stepped into a small building that acted as his office until he could be transferred back to Starfleet headquarters.

"A job," she answered. "I saw on your website that you're looking for a seasonal hire, someone to help with the books?"

"Yeah, my guy's on paternity leave, but…"

The woman before him chuckled quietly. "You know, I think my son's going to school with that boy you took in. James Kirk, right? We'll have to tell them we knew each other, that we even dated for a little while, until I…"

"Chose the rich alien," Chris finished.

"And now a reversal of fortune," she said with a soft sigh. "How's the boy? And his mother, Winona?"

Chris was silent for a long moment as he thought of the Kirks and all the hell they'd been through. He hadn't seen Winona since she'd picked up her son at the beginning of summer. When Jim showed up at home malnourished and a shell of the boy he'd been before with nothing but a note from his mother, Chris had cursed her name and threatened to have her arrested. Surely he could get her on charges of child endangerment? But Jim had talked him out of it eventually.

Noticing the dark look in Chris's eyes, Amanda quickly tried a different approach, though she was now very concerned about James Kirk and made a mental note to ask her son about him later. "I'm sorry, I have a little money saved. I was hoping that someone in Riverside - perhaps an old friend - would be willing to give me the benefit of the doubt."

The defeated sigh that answered her made her wonder at all she'd missed while off planet, for the Christopher Pike she knew hadn't known the meaning of defeat. "Amanda, if it were up to me… Starfleet cannot just hire the wife of Sarek, who's on trial for betraying the federation, balancing my books. Can I?"

There's a beat of silence broken only by the clock ticking on the wall. When Amanda speaks it's clear she's holding back tears. "No, I suppose you cannot."

(***)

Spock finds himself outside at lunch time, wading through picnic tables looking for an adequate place to sit. There's a group of girls going over what seem to be song lyrics, he is tempted at first due to the Vulcan woman sitting amongst them but finds he dislikes the idea immensely. He spots the Parrises Squares team and he scolded himself for scanning the athletes' faces looking for Mr. Kirk. Off to the side are a group of girls surrounding Carol Mitchell who sneers at him as he walks by. Finally, he spots Leonard McCoy sitting with Sulu and… His breath hitches for a second as he recognizes the last of their party.

He reaches the table ready to ask permission to sit when Sulu pats the open space beside him. A clear indication to sit down.

"Was wondering where you were," Sulu said. "Jimmy here was just telling us about how his dad scarred him for life."

Jim rolled his eyes, "He's not my dad. But he did scar me for life."

Bones huffed. "Get on with it, man, we don't have all day."

"Fine, fine, so you know Ms. Vina? The music teacher?" Both boys nod as Spock raises a questioning eyebrow. Jim takes notice of Spock's evident lack of knowledge of the teachers. "She's got short blonde hair, blue eyes, probably the youngest teacher we've got here."

Spock nods. "The woman you pointed out to Mr. McCoy at the assembly, I assume."

Jim laughs. "Yeah, that's the one. Anyways, before I left for the summer, guess Pike thought I was gone already but m… Winona was running late…" There's a dark look that passes over his face and all three held their breath, only releasing it when he continues. "So, I come into the house and their on the freaking couch, buck ass naked, going at it like two freaking, horny teenagers. I will never be able to sit on that couch again."  
Spock is startled when the other two boys listening burst into laughter, McCoy even wipes away a few tears. He understands that humans have an odd desire to find humor in the most bizarre of places but he's confused as to how they can so blatantly ignore Jim while he appears so broken.

He makes eye contact with Jim and they hold it for a long second before Jim breaks away. Spock restrains himself from reaching out to the boy; he has never experienced such a loss of control as when he's around James Kirk.

"Anyways, enough about my struggles, how was your first day, Sweetheart?" he says it as a joke judging by the tone, yet Spock feels that odd fluttering in his stomach again. Perhaps he should consult a physician if it persists.

"It was adequate. The labs are primitive compared to the ones on Vulcan but they will do," Spock answers. With a slight twitch of his lips that Mr. Kirk takes note of with the raise of his eyebrows, he adds, "Dear."

McCoy coughs loudly, which reminds Spock that he and Kirk have been staring at each other for far too long. The two quickly look away from each other as Sulu begins laughing at them. Sulu was on the verge of making a quip about Kirk when his eye caught sight of a blond bob heading their way.

"Oh, great, the bereaved Blond Bimbo is on her way over," Sulu stage whispered with an eye roll. "I'm gonna go see what Pavel is up to, see you guys later."

McCoy snorted. "Oh, we're learning first names now, how sweet."

Sulu held up a middle finger as he walked away, never once turning back.

"I'm gonna go, too," Jim said with a nervous hand running through his gold hair. "I gotta help Scotty with some problem with his PADDs software. And, you know, Carol…"

"Say no more, the hobgoblin and I can ward off the she-demon," McCoy said.

As Kirk ran off, clutching his tray close as if he feared someone might steal if from him, Carol reached the table. She placed her hands on her waist and regarded Spock with a sharp smile.

"Spock, I'd heard whisperings. I'm Carol Mitchell, may I sit?" She didn't wait for an answer and sat down next to him. Too close in Vulcan terms. "So, what are you two hens gossiping about? Jamie's little attempt at stealing attention away from my brother's death?"

Her smile never wavered even as her eyes took on an almost murderous tint.

Spock was unsure why he became so defensive on James Kirk's behalf but he fought hard to regain control and loosen his fists. He spoke evenly, "We were merely discussing extracurricular activities, as the principal has insisted I sign up for a few."

McCoy fixed him with a speculative look, probably wondering how a Vulcan could lie so easily. A part of Spock found it worrisome, as well, but found he simply wished to keep James's name out of Carol's mouth.

"You should join the newspaper, help out little Jimmy. Or maybe you could join the Parrises Squares team, and replace him. Put all that Vulcan strength to good use," she suggested.

With a toss of her hair, the young woman sauntered off. Spock found himself agreeing with McCoy, Carol Mitchell was a she-demon.

(***)

As his last class ended, Spock walked down the hallway, trying in vain to keep his thoughts off the golden haired boy who had emotionally compromised him, when said boy fell at his feet. There was a brief moment where Spock froze, confused as to why he hadn't caught James. Quickly, he knelt down to assist gathering Kirk's PADDs that had fallen from his grasp.

"Sorry, I dunno what happened, I just," Kirk rambled. "I'm just so sorry."

The harsh struggle for breath as Kirk worked himself up into a panic caused Spock to become alarmed. He took note of how the boy's hands shook as he reached out for the PADDS that Spock had gathered together into a neat pile. Without a word, Spock placed the PADDS in his satchel and grabbed James's arms, hauling him up to his feet. He tried desperately to ignore the tingling sensation the touch sent up his arm.

"I have determined you need rest and, thus, I shall be carrying your belongings to wherever it is you wish to go," Spock asserted.

Kirk opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what he what he was supposed to say to that. He tried to insist that he could carry his stuff but found even he didn't quite believe it. Taking in the Vulcan's conviction, Jim acquiesced. "Fine, I was just heading to the gym to meet up with Scotty and Bones."

A nod was the only answer he received as the two headed towards the gym. Jim eyed the Vulcan, wondering why he seemed so keen on helping him out. First the food at Keeler's, then Bones said he got visibly agitated when Carol was talking shit, and now with the PADDS. Maybe this was another part of the whole Kirk Anomaly.

They made it to the gym without a word and Jim prepared to say goodbye when he heard Carol's voice float through the hallway.

"What do you think, Leonard? Go ahead, the floor is yours. Whatever you've been dying to spew about Gary and how he treated James and Elizabeth, unleash it. Destroy me. Rip me to shreds," she was ordering with a voice like ice.

"I just…" Bones started before he paused with a deep breath. "I just want to say… I'm sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what your family is going through."

Spock watched as James took off. He was at his friend's side in an instant with a look of fury that made even the Vulcan take a step back. The Jim that smiled so easily while in pain was now staring the she-demon down with fists clenched and shaking at his sides.

"Right," Carol said with a sneer, ignoring Jim's anger. "Hi, Jimmy, I see why you left this pathetic weakling for a Vulcan. At least they can stand up for themselves."

Spock was worried that Jim was seconds away from throwing a punch at the blonde when the boy opened his mouth, instead. "He's weak? Why? Because you couldn't bully him into being an asshole?"

"I need a man with ice in his veins," she purred.

There was a sickening feeling in his chest as he watched Carol's hand caress James's chest.

"I know what you need, Carol, because I know who you are. You would rather people fear than like you. You traffic in terror and intimidation. You're rich, so you've never been held accountable, but I am living proof: that certainty you wear on your head like a crown? It won't last. Eventually, there will be a reckoning," he pauses, his entire body eerily still as he stares her down. "Or maybe, that reckoning is now. And maybe, that reckoning is me. Bones and I are a matching set; you fuck with him, you fuck with me. You wanted ice? Sorry, Carol, my specialty is fire."

Carol swallows as she backs away from the two friends fearfully. Once she has left the gym entirely, Spock regains a modicum of control over his body which had become traitorous as Jim had spoken. His face was heated, his fingers twitched, his breathing was erratic, and his thoughts were unbecoming of a Vulcan.

James led McCoy back to where Spock was slowly regaining control. The golden haired boy was still shaking with anger even as McCoy tried desperately to calm him.

(***)

Amanda arrived home, spent. Smithers eagerly helps carry her bags inside for her.

"Thank you, dear, you're a real help," she says with a grateful smile. "The only one I can really count on it seems."

Smithers smiles kindly at her before his eyes widen. "Oh! A spot of good news. The car service phoned and dropped off a missing bag."

Amanda knows her son would have already informed her if they had a bag missing. She looks at the bag on the coffee table with her husbands initials engraved on the clasp. Once Smithers leaves, she warily walks towards it. Upon opening it she finds thousands of dollars.

"Oh, Sarek," she cries quietly. "What have you done?"

(***)

The Riverside High gymnasium had been decorated with streamers, lights, and holograms of Gary Mitchell hovering over everything. Bones grumbled about the tackiness as soon as he stepped foot inside with Christine Chapel on his arm. She laughed at his grumpiness before lightly smacking his arm and ordering him to get her some punch.

Behind them, Spock and Jim stood awkwardly near each other. Jim was keeping his distance, afraid to offend the Vulcan by getting too close. Though, he was fairly certain Spock was intentionally standing closer than was considered normal for a Vulcan.

He turned to face Spock and tried not to gawk at the tall alien who looked positively regal in his dark blue Vulcan robe. A few seconds passed before he remembered that he was just staring. With a small tug at his tie, he quickly asked, "D-do you want t-t-to dance?"

The slow song that was playing made him realize that they were going to have to physically touch and he was sure Spock was going to turn him down. He jumped slightly when the Vulcan placed a guiding hand on the small of his back. He desperately hoped the Vulcan couldn't read his thoughts through the clothes as his teenage brain thought of the Vulcan's hand falling a little lower.

He was guided to the dance floor's edge just an arm's length away from the crowd of dancing students. When he notes Spock's eyes glancing at the coupled students dancing style as if studying how to properly dance, Jim realizes that the Vulcan has never danced before. He chuckles as he steps in front of the Vulcan.

"You know there comes a time in every boy's life where he must learn to dance," Jim says.

Spock stared at James's outstretched hand in fearful curiosity before gently grabbing the boy's wrist. "Vulcan's hands are very… sensitive," he explained when Jim raised an eyebrow.

Jim blushed slightly at the contact but was determined to dance at least once with his date. He grabbed Spock's other arm, careful to avoid his hands, and raised both the Vulcan's arms to his neck. Once Spock's arms were wrapped loosely around his neck, Jim placed his own on Spock's waist.

Sulu brushed past them before backtracking to look at the two swaying awkwardly an arm's width away from one another. Jim groaned inwardly at the suggestive smile the Asian had on his face. He found he had good reason to be wary when Sulu walked behind him and shoved him bodily into Spock.

Spock caught Jim in his arms and Jim swore his face was going to catch on fire from how hot it was.

"Now that's more like it," Sulu snickered.

"Fuck off," Jim muttered.

"Nah, you were actually the one I was looking for," Sulu ignored the glare directed at him. "So, guess who just propositioned me in the bathroom. Give you a hint: he may be small but I'd describe a certain appendage as anything but."

Spock's fairly certain his brain has short-circuited as he's unable to make sense of anything Mr. Sulu has just said and doesn't seem able to move away from Mr. Kirk. James is in a similar state as he stares at his friend in confusion and refrains from moving away from his dance partner.

A second passes as Sulu waits for the two to understand what he said before a light goes off in Jim's head. "Oh, Chekov?" A beat, then he looks suggestively at his friend, "Is he really?"

Sulu holds up his hands about half a foot apart and smiles lewdly.

"Damn, who'd have thought," Jim laughs.

Spock's arms tense around his neck and he turns his head to find those dark eyes refusing to meet his. A thrill went up his back at the idea that his date might be jealous before he stamped it out and reminded himself that the Vulcan was probably just uncomfortable.

Jim quickly turned them away from Sulu with a wave goodbye. The two continued dancing along the edge of the mass of other students. They were close enough that their chests brushed on occasion but neither was willing to look the other in the eye.

"Have you decided on an extracurricular activity, yet?" Jim asked suddenly.

Spock turns to look at the blond only to find him much too close. He has to calm himself before he is able to answer but finds it difficult as long as James is staring at him. "I have decided to assist with _The Red and Gold_, though Coach Riker does seem intent on getting me to join the Parrises Squares team."

"You should," Jim says, his eyes flashing with delight. "I'd come watch all your games."

"You are aware I would be taking your position, correct? There would be no more room on the team, should you wish to join later," Spock frowned, unsure as to why the human was so excited about him joining.

Jim shrugged and smiled up at him. "Eh, I wasn't going to be able to join this year anyways. And Pike was trying to get me to quit anyways, said I was pushing myself too hard. You'd be great, though." He thought for a second before looking at Spock with a wicked smile. "And you'd look really hot in that uniform."

The warm green that spread along the Vulcan's cheeks as he stammered out a promise to consider it made Jim's legs turn to jelly. He's fairly certain the next words out of his mouth are going to be embarrassingly sappy when Carol Mitchell stepped up on stage and in front of the microphone.

"Good evening, friends. Are you all having a great time?" Carol asks. She's wearing an elegant crimson dress that flashes in the light that shines down on her.

Spock and Jim turn to watch her but still stand close enough that their shoulders are touching. It takes every ounce of willpower to refrain from giggling like a giddy school child who's just experienced their first kiss.

"As honorary chair-woman, and de-facto queen of tonight's semi-formal, it is my great pleasure to introduce this evening's main entertainment. To know them is to be obsessed with them. Although they usually perform their own material, tonight they're making an exception and debuting a cover of the song my parents listened to the night Gary and I were conceived. This one's for you, Gary."

The DJ moves his equipment off the stage as Uhura and the _Sehlats_ take their places.

"The lead singer and the one playing the Vulcan lyre hate my guts," Jim tells Spock quietly.

Spock raises an eyebrow. "Why do they hate you?"

Jim shrugged. "Part of the Kirk Anomaly." A blank look answers him. "It's an equation I'm working on, don't worry about it."

"I give you: Uhura an the _Sehlats_," Carol announces as the crowd erupts into cheers and whistles. She leaves the stage as Uhura takes her place at the microphone.

They play another slow song and James turns back to Spock, quietly asking for another dance. Spock's lips twitch slightly much to Jim's amusement before he returns to their previous dancing position.

James glances over to see Bones and Christine both mouthing "ask him out" at him.

"So, Spock," James says, fighting hard against the butterflies fluttering in his chest. "I know everyone thinks we're dating but I'm sure you're aware that it started out as just a joke." They've stopped dancing and Spock is staring at him with a guarded expression. James has momentary doubts about whether he'd imagined all the signs the Vulcan had been sending his way or if maybe he'd just misinterpreted them. But he was James Tiberius Kirk and he would not tolerate not knowing. "Will you actually be my boyfriend?"

Silence. Though, that guarded expression is now replaced with one of intrigue.

Jim flounders. "Or do you have someone back home? T'Pring once told me that Vulcans are assigned bondmates at a young age. So, I understand. But like if not then you can still totally tell me no. I was just wondering, it's not like you owe me an explanation or…"

"Kirk," Spock says, and Jim shuts his mouth, "I do not have a bondmate assigned to me as I am half-Vulcan, half-human. No Vulcan wished to have their child bonded to a hybrid. I find the idea of courting you to be…" He pauses, trying to find the right words that don't invoke too much emotion, "fascinating."

Jim blinks. "Is that a yes?"

Spock starts to answer when Carol's blonde head pops into his vision.

"Hey, Jimmy," she says flirtily. Jim can feel Spock tense at the words, and he instinctively runs one of his hands reassuringly along his back. "I just wanted to invite you two lovebirds and your ex to my party afterwards."

"'Kay?" Jim says, wary of the dangerous glint in Carol's eye.

She leans over and gives him a peck on the lips that leaves Jim feeling fairly nauseous. As she walks away he could have sworn he heard Spock growl but when he turns back to his date he looks eerily calm.

"You were saying?" Jim tried.

Spock was still tense even though his face betrayed no emotion. "I believe I misunderstood. You see, Vulcans take what you call dating very seriously and do not have any need nor want for a polyamorous relationship."

With that he turned and walked away, leaving James struggling to understand whether he was more saddened at Spock's misunderstanding or pissed at Carol's intrusion.

(***)

The Mitchell's living room was filled with a dozen teenagers, James was pleasantly surprised to find Spock in attendance even if the alien was still ignoring him. He slid off the couch and took a seat in the floor beside the Vulcan. Spock tensed beside him but refused to look at him which Jim refused to get offended by.

"Hey, Spock, I just wanted to explain what happened," he started only to have Carol talk over him. The sly grin on her face made it clear she was doing it on purpose.

"It's game night at Che Mitchell, kiddies. We're going old-school tonight: Seven Minutes in Heaven," Carol said. There was a wicked glint in her eyes when she glanced over Jim and Spock.

James ignores every whisper of doubt in his head and reaches over to wrap a hand firmly around Spock's wrist. He's not sure what he's doing but he tries to send every positive emotion he can through the contact. Judging by the raised eyebrow, he's fairly certain his attempt has worked.

Carol picks up a wine bottle and asks, "Who wants to tryst in the Closet of Love first? My vote is for our dear Captain Jimmy. Anyone care to second?"

Every fiber in Jim's body is telling him to object, to run, to do something. "Wait, I don't think…"

"Yes! Kirk, yes!" Sulu proclaims drunkenly even as Bones is objecting vehemently.

Carol only listens to Sulu much to Kirk's dismay. "All right, gather 'round, Kids. Let's see who's riding the golden stallion tonight."

She says it in a way that insinuates something she knows isn't true and Spock is pulling away from him again, a forced emotionless mask placed over his face so Jim cannot read him. James holds tighter to the wrist in his hand, knowing fully well that the Vulcan could remove himself from his grasp if he really wanted to. Spock doesn't remove the hand on his wrist much to Jim's relief.

The bottle spins and everyone watches with bated breath. Carol moves to sit on the couch behind a tense Bones and smiles conspiratorially at Jim. The bottle stops between him and Spock. Sulu cackles in drunken delight.

Spock hesitates, clearly unsure of what to do. "It's up to you to do this," Carol says sweetly, and Jim has never hated her more than in this moment. "But house rules decree that if you don't, the host gets to take your turn."

Jim's certain he hears a low growl emanate from the Vulcan at his side and he tries desperately to keep the thoughts it creates to a minimum. Spock stands a second later and looks to Jim expectantly. The guarded look comes back to those chocolate eyes as Jim hesitates, he doesn't know how to explain that it's the closed space that's causing him to pause. Before he can psych himself out, he stands and guides Spock to the Mitchell's closet.

Once inside, he lights up the room with his communicator and finds Spock already staring intently at him. Jim resorts to humor to cover up his nervousness. "I know her brother just died and all, but Carol Mitchell truly is the antiChrist."

"Illogical," Spock mutters.

James laughs quietly. "Yeah, that's me. So, do you miss Vulcan?"

Spock raises an eyebrow. "Vulcan's do not miss things, that is an emotional response."

"So is being jealous," Jim points out. Spock appears almost chastised and Jim wants to comfort him but his panic is already rising. "I hate small spaces."

"That is why you did not wish to partake in this game?" Spock inquires.

There's a moment where James attempts to control his breathing before he answers, "Well, yeah. Did you really think I didn't want to be in here with you?" Jim breathes deep and focuses on Spock's face in the dark. "Look, Carol kissing me was just as much a shock for me as it was for you. And, if you caught on to the fact that she was insinuating that I sleep around, I can assure you that's far from the truth. I've only ever slept with one person and he's probably dead."

"You refer to Gary Mitchell, I assume," Spock said, his voice was soft.

Jim nodded in the dim light. "Yeah, didn't end well."

A hand gently lands on his shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. The gentle pressure strengthens slightly and Jim worries a little that he may have offended the Vulcan in some unforeseen way. "I wish to apologize for abandoning you on the dance floor earlier," Spock says. "I was… emotionally compromised."

_Emotionally compromised_, Jim thinks with a brief feeling of triumph that he caused the Vulcan to feel.

"You know," Jim whispers, forcing Spock to lean forwards to hear him, "you never actually answered my question."

Spock's hand on his shoulder tightens its grip as Jim smirks confidently up at him. "I apologize for my failure to accurately answer your query. To be concise, my answer is yes."

There is a beat where they just stared at one another before their lips met, tentative at first. Then with growing confidence, Spock pushes James against the wall of the closet and kisses him hard. James is vaguely aware of fingers caressing his own.

Spock's inner clock is telling him that seven minutes has long since passed when he finally gains some control and pulls away. James is breathless, staring at him with a lopsided grin with kiss swollen lips and Spock finds he has to look away to keep his control.

The two exit the closet to find everyone staring expectantly at them. Sulu lets out a whoop as Bones darts forward to check Jim over. Once he deemed James unharmed, McCoy smacked his arm. "You were in there for twice as long as you were supposed to be! You had me worried that you were having a damn panic attack," Bones whispered harshly before his eyes fell to Jim's neck. Bones let out a snort. "Good luck explaining those to Pike."

Jim's blissful look was replaced with mild panic as he moved his hands to cover his neck. He fixed Spock with a look and found the Vulcan look decidedly unapologetic.

(***)

Spock returns home to find his mother drinking a Vulcan brandy in the dining room. He found her to be in some sort of emotional distress but her shields were down so he did not press her.

"Hello, dear," his mother greeted. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear as her son sat down. "How was the dance?"

Spock considered her question for a moment before deciding to be honest. "It was fascinating. I went with a James Kirk," his mother's eyes snap up to meet his at the name, "and was invited to what they called an 'after party'."

"Kirk?" his mother whispers.

"Yes, Mother, I have begun courting him," Spock informs her, fighting off the urge to smile.

Amanda Grayson stared in amazement at her son before giggling uncontrollably. Spock considered confiscating her brandy as it had clearly impaired his mother's control. "Oh, goodness, I apologize," she said through her giggles. "Look at you, you're positively glowing. I should have known! Ooh! You must invite him over, I want to meet this James Kirk that has so emotionally compromised my baby!"

Spock sighs quietly before standing up to leave the room. His mother calls out to him, still giggling delightedly. "Goodnight, Mother," he calls to her before exiting the room.

(***)

It was midnight when my old friend, James Kirk, arrived at the one place in town that was still open. He was looking for the boy next door. Instead, he found me.

Kirk walked into Keeler's diner and locked eyes with Scotty before going to ask Edith if she had seen McCoy lately. She told him that only the Nighthawk had been in as she nodded to Scotty who typed furiously at his laptop.

Scotty barely glanced up as Jim sat down across from him.

"What're you working on, Scotty?" Jim asks conversationally.

"Mah novel. It's abit this summer an' Gary Mitcheel," he answers without looking away from the screen.

Jim stares out the window thoughtfully for a second. "Seventeen years old, and how will he be remembered? As Captain of the water polo team?"

Scotty snorted. "Considerin' hoo he died, probably nae. But I suppose it'd be better than some ay the things he could be remembered fur." He glances up at Jim with grim acknowledgment that James pretends he doesn't see.

"No, what I mean is, was he doing everything he was supposed to? Everything he wanted… Did he even know what that was?" Jim asked.

He was staring at the stars with that faraway look Scotty had come to understand as longing. Scotty decided now would be a good time to change the topic before Jimmy got all philosophical on him. "Coach Riker was in haur earlier, wants Spock oan the Varsity team. Ye alright wi' yer boyfriend replacin' ye?"

"Yeah, I told him to go for it," Jim says with a chuckle. "Can you believe I'm dating a Vulcan?"

Scotty fixed him with a look. "As lang as he's nae like yer lest boyfriend."

Jim waved him off.

After a few minutes of just watching the Scotsman typing away, James excused himself and headed home. He found Bones on his front porch waiting for him. As he approached he caught sight of the goofy grin on his friends face.

"Christine actually let you kiss her goodnight? I'm shocked," James teased.

Bones rolled his eyes but the goofy smile never left his face. "At least I wasn't trying to jump her bones in the closet where everyone could hear."

His face paled as he realized, "Everyone could hear us?"

"Oh, yeah," Bones scoffed. "You're not very quiet, Jimbo."

Jim groans loudly as he stomps into his own house, ignoring McCoy's laughter that follows him inside.

(***)

Chekov and Sulu stepped out of Sulu's car that was parked at the edge of the English River. The smaller boy was trying to convince Sulu that he wasn't gay, just curious."

"'Course, 'course," Sulu waved him off. "But if you were gay, what would you want to do?"

Pavel thought for a second before hesitantly answering, "Everything, except kissing."

"Oh, I love a good closet case," Sulu jokes under his breath.

The two walk down to the river, while each start to remove their outer layers of clothing. Sulu suggested they start with a little skinny-dipping and see how the night goes. Chekov was about to tell him that skinny-dipping originated in Russia when Sulu fell suddenly.

The smaller man ran to the other's aid only to find Sulu staring wide-eyed at something in the river. Chekov tries to see over his shoulder. "What iz it? Are you okay?"

It's as the words leave his mouth that he realizes what their both looking at. It's a body in a white suit lying face up in the water. The face is hard not to recognize as it has been plastered to the front page of every newspaper and hung over them at their school dance just a few hours ago. It's Gary Mitchell who has a gunshot wound right between his eyes.

"Oh my god, he was shot," Sulu whispers.

By morning, everyone was talking, texting, and posting about it. The world around Riverside had changed, possibly forever.

The entire town gathered as the paramedics load Gary's body into an ambulance. Bones is standing with his family, sharing a nervous look with James who stands with Christopher Pike a few feet away. Spock and his mother are a little further out, avoiding the emotionally charged area as best they can. But it's Carol who looks the most distraught as she watches her twin be loaded up and carried away.

Riverside wasn't the same town anymore. It was a town of shadows and secrets now. On Monday, the autopsy would take place. On Tuesday, halfway through fifth-period, the first arrest would be made.


	2. The Pep Rally

Many of Riverside's citizens, perhaps the entire town, had been hoping against all odds that somehow Gary Mitchell hadn't drowned on July 4th. That he would show up on Monday in class or that they would see him and Carol in a booth at Keeler's.

But that was before the undeniable, irrevocable fact of his bloated, water-logged body, a corpse with a bullet hole in the forehead, and terrible secrets that could only be revealed by the coroner's autopsy.

(***)

Pike sat in his kitchen, handing Tribble a few bits of table scraps despite having been told by the veterinarian that Tribble needed to lose a few pounds. He looked up when he heard footsteps slowly making their way downstairs. A few moments passed before he caught sight of James Kirk looking worn out for having supposedly sleeping all night.

"Mornin', Pike," James greeted as he sat down to eat a small bowl of cereal and some toast.

Only the sound of Jim's chewing followed until he looked up to find Pike staring at him. Jim swallowed slowly, trying to drag out every second in order to evade Christopher Pike and his knowing looks that made him feel guilty even though he hadn't done anything.

"Where'd you sneak off to last night? I know you've started seeing that Grayson boy," Pike asked suggestively.

Jim choked on his toast. "No, no, no, no, it's not like that. I just went for a run to clear my head last night." A beat of silence and he quickly added, "Alone."

"Look, son," Pike began, "if you and Spock are doing whatever it is you kids are calling it these days, then just make sure you're practising safe…"

"Ohmygod, no! I swear," Jim ran a hand down his face. "I swear on… on Starfleet that I was alone last night. I haven't seen Spock since the dance. And how did you even know I snuck out?"

Pike snorted. "You're many things, Jim, stealthy isn't one of them."

Jim barely resisted sticking his tongue out at the man before him.

"No more late night runs, though, until they catch whoever shot that poor Mitchell boy, okay?"

"Yeah... Who even uses bullets these days?" Jim asked incredulously.

Pike's eyebrows furrowed as he began to think; something was bothering him about all this, he just couldn't figure out what it was. He was just on the verge of piecing it together, he was sure, when there was a knock on the door.

Jim went to answer the door and found a grumpy Leonard McCoy standing on his porch.

"I'm here to make sure you survive the walk to school," Bones joked.

With a quick goodbye to Pike, Jim grabbed his backpack and made to follow Bones down the sidewalk. They were discussing McCoy's parents and their personal goals for their son. Jim listened attentively, knowing Bones needed this time to vent.

"I need time to process what it is my mom wants and what I want," he said.

Jim nodded. "And what do you want?"

"Well, Mom says I don't have time for Christine, but I've been pining after her for years and she is finally giving me a chance and I can't very well blow my one chance at happiness, can I?"

"Christine would be understanding, I'm sure, but I understand, Bones," Jim said. "By the way, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you the other night at the dance. You know, when Spock and I, uh…. You know."

'When you two tried to dance the goat's jig? Did the horizontal greased-weasel tango?" Bones rambled.

A startled laugh bubbled out from Jim's lips. 'I'm pretty sure you made those up. And I swear we just made out. Why does everyone keep insisting we did more than that?"

Bones gave him a suggestive smile. "Maybe 'cause y'all were in there long enough for a quickie and you made enough noises to insinuate something."

Jim blushed as he left Bones at the school entrance, heading for his locker. He watched a few students put down flowers and cards at Gary's locker which stood a few feet from his own. Lost in thought, he jumped when Scotty spoke up behind him.

"Dae ye think I could use Gary Mitchell's death as an excuse tae get out ay PE? 'Sorry Coach I'm jist tay depressed an' freaked out right now tae dae pull-ups'," Scotty was asking.

Grabbing some books out of his locker, Jim admonished, 'Don't joke about Gary Mitchell."

"What? Sardonic humor is just mae way of relatin' tae the world."

Just then, Christine, Chekov, and Janice Rand came walking up and Scotty waved goodbye to Jim before leaving. As he passed the three newcomers, Christine and Rand scrunched up their noses disdainfully at him.

(***)

Sulu and Jim were making their way to the office when Jim finally found the courage to talk to Sulu about what he'd seen. "Are you okay after finding Gary?"

"It was more traumatizing having to explain to my dad what I was doing with Pavel at the river. Just another perk of being the sheriff's son," Hikaru answered with a rueful smile. A beat of silence, then, "How are you doing?"

Jim didn't answer, choosing that moment to enter the office where a bouquet of sunflowers was sitting on the desk. A card sat amongst the flowers with something written elegantly on it.

"Whoa," Sulu breathed. "These for Jim?"

The lady at the front desk nodded. "That's why I called him in."

Sulu plucked the card out and read aloud, "'Dear las'hark, please forgive my absence, S.' Gee, wonder who S could be."

"Spock," Jim said with a small smile. He had been kind of worried that he hadn't seen or heard from his new boyfriend since the dance, so this was a nice surprise. He turned when someone entered the office and found the tall Vulcan standing behind him.

"My mother informed me that humans enjoy receiving gifts, and though the custom is foreign to me, I thought these flowers an appropriate gift," Spock said matter-of-factly. He did not make known the fact that he thought of sunflowers because Jim reminded him of the sun; a warm, brilliant light in this cold, dark town.

Sulu snorted. "And I thought this was going to be romantic, how silly of me."

Jim resolutely ignored his friend, choosing instead to smile adoringly at Spock. "Thank you, Spock." He glanced back at the sunflowers, briefly wondering how he was going to get them home when something piqued his interest. "What does las'hark mean?"

A faint green blush spread across Spock's cheeks. "It is just a pet name."

The way the Vulcan avoided eye contact told Jim it was much more than a common pet name, but he knew Spock wasn't going to tell him. Not now, at least. He made a mental note to ask T'Pring about it later.

The bell rang and Spock hesitated at the door. Jim's smile grew as he stepped forward to join Spock and the two headed off for class.

(***)

Mr. Comsol was talking over the speaker as he sat in the office with Carol Mitchell and Sheriff Sulu. "Good morning, students, this is your principal speaking. There have been many inquiries about the upcoming pep rally, so let me be clear: it is happening as scheduled. Now, on a more serious note, if you could give your attention to Sheriff Sulu."

The sheriff stepped forward to talk into the tannoy. "Most of you already know the details, but your classmate Gary Mitchell was found dead late Saturday night. So, as of the weekend, Gary's death is being treated as a homicide. It is an open and ongoing investigation."

Carol stepped forward and the sheriff faltered.

"If I may interject," Carol said, sickeningly sweet. "Neither I nor my parents will rest until Gary's death is avenged, and his cold-hearted killer is walking the green mile. I, for one, have my suspicions…. Hashtag Riverside strong."

Sheriff Sulu gently motioned for the Mitchell girl to back up before he continued. "If you know anything about what happened to Gary Mitchell on July fourth, I strongly urge you to come forward immediately. You can speak with me or Principal Comsol."

Jim was in the bathroom, listening to the announcements, breaking into a cold sweat. Gary was dead, really dead. If Jim just hadn't left for the summer, maybe he could have saved him. And then what? Gary would be alive, and wouldn't that be so much worse?

The door to the bathroom opened and Scotty rushed to Jim's side. He held him as Jim broke down, unsure if he was grieving Mitchell's death or feeling guilty for the relief that washed over him at the fact that Gary Mitchell was dead.

"I gotcha ye," Scotty said soothingly.

(***)

The next day at Riverside High, Jim walked into class, pretending not to see Scotty standing by the door. He passed two girls talking to Carol about Gary's death. Despite himself, he began to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"We were wondering, Carol, back in July you told the police that Gary drowned," one girl said.

The other girl piped up, "Yet, we come to find out that Gary didn't drown, he was shot. Kind of suspicious, yeah?'

Carol's head snapped around to glare daggers at the two girls who dared to speak to her in such a manner. "Are you living mannequins suggesting that I had something to do with my _brother's_ death? I'll tell you what I told the police. Gary did fall into the water, we both did. I made it to the shore, he didn't. Maybe he made it to the other side of the river and someone shot him there. I don't know."

At that moment, the teacher decided to walk in and called for everyone to pair up and take a seat.

Jim slid into the seat next to Spock and watched as the rest of his classmates got into groups. Scotty paired up with Bones who was glaring at Jim for abandoning him; and Pavel sat down next to a worried Sulu.

"You appear distracted," Spock said as he began working on the worksheet they had to fill out. His hand flowed across the PADD, confident and sure; he never faltered with such elegant handwriting that had written Jim a card only the day before.

Jim watched his boyfriend write for a moment longer before answering. "Just thinking about Gary. Still can't believe he's actually dead. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel."

Hands stilled, Spock's eyes slid over to Jim. "I grieve with thee."

There was a sincerity in those words that did little to comfort Jim who felt cold-hearted for how little grief he detected within himself. "Yeah, I'm not grieving, that's the problem."

"You told me the night of the dance that you and Mr. Mitchell ended on bad terms. May I inquire in what way or ways did your relationship end negatively so that I may assist now, as well as to avoid doing such things in the future?"

Jim snorted. "I get the feeling you're too logical to ever do what he did."

Spock thought those words over for a moment before insisting, "Still, I desire to know all the variables in order to effectively make this courtship have a positive outcome."

The nervous tapping of fingers on the desk caused Spock to raise an eyebrow. He couldn't comprehend why Jim would be apprehensive.

Finally, Jim sighed. "I promise to tell you one day but right now I don't feel comfortable talking about it. Think you can wait a little while?"

Spock turned back to the PADD in front of him, dutifully filing this conversation away for later. "As you wish, ashayam."

Not a second after Spock finished the last question on the PADD the teacher walked by to set up a dead frog to be dissected. Jim felt nauseous as he thought about how the coroner was cutting up Gary's body possibly at this very moment. He glanced across the classroom to where Carol sat staring blankly at the frog in front of her.

Suddenly, Carol pierced the frog with a blade causing the girls around her to jump.

(***)

The coroner was standing over Gary's body, scalpel in hand when Rayna McCoy walked in.

"Every corpse has a tale to tell, Mrs. McCoy. There are several morbid details you should find relevant to your article," the doctor told her. "What sticks out to you?"

Rayna stepped closer to look at what the coroner was pointing at.

"Marbling of the veins, signs of scavenger activity, look at the marks on both wrists." He gestured to where Gary's wrists lay with marks and lines covering them. "Also, a hint of cryo-necrotic preservation."

Handing an envelope to the coroner, Rayna bent over Gary's face.

(***)

Sitting at an outdoor lunch table, Jim looked up when he heard Sulu's voice.

"Well, obviously I don't mean an actual closet," Sulu explained to Jim who had no idea what he was talking about.

Spock sat down across from Jim and raised an eyebrow. They continued to stare at one another until McCoy waved a hand between them. McCoy gestured to Jim's guitar and asked, "Any new material you wanna try out?"

"I…" Jim started.

"I did not know you played an instrument, Jim," Spock said.

Jim rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm not that good, it's just a hobby."

Sulu snorted. "Yeah, right. Just play and your boyfriend can determine just how good you are."

Spock nodded for him to play and Jim awkwardly shifted the guitar.

"Okay, but I'm still working on the lyrics, so..." He rolled up his sleeves and tuned the guitar. As he began to play, he sang:

"Come on turn the radio on,

And honey we'll dance, dance, dance…"

McCoy and Sulu shared a look, but Spock's gaze remained fixated on Jim as he played.

"For the rest of the night

I'm not ready to go"

"Well…?" Jim asked nervously after he'd finished.

Spock opened his mouth only to close it again before finally saying, "You have significant talent."

Someone busted out laughing to his side but Spock continued to watch Jim as if waiting for him to pull out another hidden talent.

The three humans around Spock started joking around and laughing at one another, occasionally including a rather reluctant Spock, when Principal Comsol walked up to their table.

"Mr. Kirk," the principal greeted coolly.

Jim tensed slightly while Bones and Sulu rolled their eyes. Spock moved his leg ever so slightly to bump against Jim's, only the barest of touches that anyone looking would assume it was accidental. Kirk's blue eyes flashed over to his and Spock was rewarded with a brilliant smile.

Principal Comsol motioned for Kirk to follow him across the school grounds, finally the principal turned to face Jim. "You're in a very good place now Mr. Kirk. This morning in the hallway you wouldn't meet my eyes. Why?"

"I was distracted, I wasn't feeling well."  
"James."

Jim kept his mouth shut.

"If there's anything you want to get off your chest, perhaps about Gary. Now would be the time."

With that the principal walked off and Jim slowly made his way back to his friends.

"What'd that motherless goat want?" McCoy grumbled.

Jim stared at him for a second before explaining, "He wanted to ask me about Gary. I didn't say anything, I mean what is there to say now?"

(***)

Scotty and McCoy were taking pictures of the Riverside Hellcats - the high school's cheer squad - when Carol stopped the practice.

"Stand down, Hellcats, and listen up. The weather is predicting downpour the night of the rally, but you're already raining on my parade. With Gary so present in our collective consciousness, all eyes will be on me. Will this beautiful, exotic, hothouse flower drown under the town's scrutiny, or be swamped by her emotions? The answer to both of those questions is a resounding no. That said, I need star power. I need the Sehlats. Stay loose and limber ladies while I make a phone call."

The two boys sat down on the bleachers to relax while Carol was gone.

"I know everyone grieves differently, but Carol's hostin' a pep rally tae cope. That's either brilliant or psychotic. Maybe both," Scotty murmured to McCoy who laughed. "Speaking of Carol, what'd you think of what happened at her party?"

McCoy raised an eyebrow. "You find out about everything don't ya? Well, if you wanna know what I think about the hobgoblin, I think he's oddly good for Jim. Let's just hope it's not an act."

(***)

At Edith Keeler's Diner Amanda Grayson was waiting tables. After setting down a plate of burger and fries in front of a customer, she smiled and walked back to the counter where her son was waiting for her.

"You are doing an adequate job as a waitress, Mother," Spock informed her. He sat stiffly at the bar with a vanilla milkshake.

"We're surviving, Spock, by our wits, because that's what we Grayson's do. If your father could see us now."

Spock took a sip of his milkshake before reminding his mother, "If Father were here then there would be no need for you to work in a place such as this." He noted the crestfallen look on his mother's face and added quietly, "But if he were here in this moment, he would say you look appealing."

His mother cracked a smile and did a twirl for him.

The bell over the door rang and they both looked up to find a tall, thin blond standing before them. Amanda noticed how quickly Spock's head snapped around to watch the newcomer with rapt attention.

"You must be Jim Kirk," Amanda guessed. To her son she whispered, "He's cute."

"Uh, yeah, I'm picking up for Pike," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

She handed him his food and he waved goodbye to Spock. Just before he made it out the door, though, Amanda called him back. "Perhaps, you could escort Jim back home, Spock. I'd feel a lot better if you two used the buddy system now that there's a killer on the loose and all."

A few minutes later Jim and Spock found themselves walking along the street.

"So, are Scotty and Bones treating you alright?" Jim asked.

Spock raised an eyebrow. "They have treated me the same as since I first met them. Scotty appears friendly, yet hesitant and McCoy has been gruff and stubborn. Should I be expecting a change in behavior from them in the near future?"

"No, no," Jim laughed. "That's about right. They'll warm up to you."

They were silent as Spock considered this. Suddenly, though, Jim spoke up.

"Bones and I have been next door neighbors since we were four. We've always gone to the same school, been in the same class. Hell, half the school thought we were dating up until you showed up." He laughed as he remembered something. "In second grade, I was having trouble reading and our teacher Mrs. Gribrock told my mom and dad that I should stay back a year - to catch up. Bones was so against us not being in the same grade that he took it upon himself to tutor me every single day."

"That is quite admirable for a Terran second grader," Spock admitted.

Jim smiled. "Yeah, well, when I passed I kissed him and asked him to marry me. He turned me down, of course."

Spock stopped walking. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Not to make you jealous or anything. Just… I don't know… I guess just so you know how close Bones and I are. He's like my brother and I don't want you to be jealous of the bond we have."

Those chocolate brown eyes watched him intently. "Being jealous of a familial bond is illogical."

"But jealousy in general isn't?" Jim joked.

"As I do not experience jealousy, I would assume it is an illogical emotion," Spock said as they reached Jim's house.

Jim doubled over in laughter much to Spock's consternation.

(***)

Across the street, Carol Mitchell found herself in front of Leonard McCoy's house late into the night. She'd hidden when she'd heard Jim and Spock heading up the street. But now the street was empty and she was left wondering why she had even bothered coming all the way across town.

"You gonna stand there all night or come on in?" McCoy called out from his upstairs bedroom window.

Carol jumped a foot in the air before collecting herself and marching purposefully up the steps. Once inside she faced McCoy who had made his way to the stairs. He sat down halfway up the stairs and watched her intently.

"After Elizabeth and Gary's epic demise I was angry... At everyone, but I took it out on you which was super unfair. Especially since, in a way, it's kinda like we both lost siblings." She fell silent for a moment before quickly adding, "How, uh, how is Elizabeth? Is she still in that group home? Do you think she knows what happened to Gary, that he was murdered?"

"I'm not sure," McCoy said guardedly.

"What do you think went down between them?"

McCoy looked away from Carol and her pleading eyes. "I don't want to know."

"Well, what do your parents say?"

"About Elizabeth and Gary? Not much."

Carol nodded, looking down at her feet. She continued, subdued. "Same. I keep thinking that maybe Gary said something to her or she said something to him. I mean, didn't they have a big fight this summer or…"

"Carol, why are you here?"

Carol froze before glaring up at him with a hatred McCoy hadn't expected. "Because, you idiot, someone shot my brother and I think it was your crazy, tweaked-out sister."

"Get the hell out of my house," Mccoy shouted. He didn't wait to hear what else she had to say as he stood up and went back to his room.

Hours later, his mom came home and the moment he mentioned Carol's visit she began burning sage to 'banish the evil spirits'..

Leonard had rolled his eyes but his mother insisted. "I'm not joking, Leonard. That family is pure evil. I'm wondering if the Mitchell's didn't kill Gary themselves, sacrificed him to some dark pagan god that they worship in that insane mansion of theirs."

"Hey, Mom, I was thinking maybe it's time to go visit Elizabeth?" Leonard suggested only to have his mother wave him off.

(***)

In the common room of the high school, the Parrises Square team and a handful of others were sitting around listening to one of the Parrises Square team members complaining.

"And Sheriff Sulu is grilling me. You know, 'cause I'd want Mitchell dead, when he was like the only good Keeper we had. And speaking of offensive tight-ends, I should've sent the cops to you, Chekov. Because what exactly were you and Sulu doing at the river, huh? Or does being with the sheriff's son give you a free pass? Sulu?"

John turned to face Hikaru who clenched his jaw.

"He's just being a blowhard," Jim said.

Sulu shrugged. "I don't care what he says."

"Nah, let's be serious about this. If a kid at Riverside killed Gary, it's not gonna be a jock right? It's gonna be some spooky, scrawny, pathetic internet troll, too busy writing his manifestos to get laid. Like Scotty here."

Scotty rolled his eyes as he looked up from his laptop.

"Did you do stuff to the body? You know, after?"

"It's called necrophilia, can ye speel it?" Scotty snarked.

The player lunged towards Scotty but Jim interfered. There was some yelling from all around the room as Jim shoved John in the chest. John exhaled before pushing Jim into a vending machine. Glass shattered.

They were on the floor, pushing and punching each other. Jim vaguely registered Spock closing in on them when John managed to get on top of him. Sulu was trying to pull him off Jim when John swung his fist, punching him in the eye. The last thing Jim saw before he passed out was Spock tearing John off of him then everything went black.

(***)

It was at the pep rally that everyone got a chance to see Jim with his new black eye. Scotty apologized for causing the whole fight but Jim waved him off and instead of hugging it out they nodded at one another like bros do.

"Your eye," McCoy pointed out. He gently touched the side of Jim's eye and he flinched. The Parrises Square team came and Jim caught sight of Spock watching him intently. McCoy snorted. "Come on, Lover Boy, our seats are over here."

Mayor Masters stepped up to the microphone and the crowd erupted into applause.

"It is so heartening to see so many of you here, even in weather like this. But a lack of heart and school spirit has never been the Riverside way. This pep rally is dedicated in memory of Gary Mitchell. We're with him tonight. Now, join me in welcoming to the field our very own River Hellcats and their special guest stars: Uhura and the Sehlats!"

Everyone applauded as Nyota and her bandmates came onto the stage.

"Hey shawty you're my candy girl

The kind with the swirls…"

After their song, Carol ran on stage to hug Uhura. "All right, you ready? Let's make some noise! Put your hands together for the Riverside Bulldogs!"

As Spock and his teammates ran across the field, Carol watched them with a smile. Then, as if everything were moving in slow motion, she saw Gary standing amongst them staring at her. Her smile fell as she ran off the stage and started running across the field. Uhura and Gaila took off after her leaving a stoic T'Pring behind.

"Carol? Carol? What is it? What happened?" Uhura called after her as they reached the girls' changing and Gaila found Carol crying on a bench inside.

"Gary," was all Carol could manage.

Gaila sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her.

"He's gone," Carol cried.

Uhura shared a look with Gaila. "We know."

"You don't understand! He was supposed to come back," Carol sobbed. She turned and hugged Gaila, sobbing into her shirt.

(***)

After the pep rally, McCoy found Spock as he left the boys' locker room. After a little prodding and some threats, Bones managed to convince Spock to join him at Edith Keeler's Diner.

Edith swung by their table with two milkshakes in hand. "Here you go. One double chocolate and one old fashioned vanilla."

Spock took his vanilla milkshake as Bones began drinking his with gusto. They sat in silence for a moment before McCoy set his drink aside and spread both hands out on the table.

"So, you and Jim are lasting longer than I originally thought you would," he stated.

"Vulcans take courting seriously and do not waste our time with short-term relationships," Spock said, as if that explained why he and Jim were so compatible.

McCoy waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Well, I just want you to promise me something." Spock nodded for him to continue. "Promise you won't hurt him in any way. Because if you do, I'll find a way to break those Vulcan bones of yours, understood?"

An eyebrow rose in response. "There is no need for threats, as I have no intention of ever bringing harm to Jim."

"Promise me."

"It is illogical to..."

"Promise. Me." McCoy ground out, eyes piercing as they stared the Vulcan down.

Spock found a most illogical part of him actually feared this boy in front of him. He acquiesced, "I promise."

A second later, Jim and Scotty walked in. McCoy smiled at Jim as he sat down next to Spock and Scotty slid into the seat beside Bones.

"This is yer treat, right?" Scotty said, nudging Bones.

To someone on the outside, peering in, it would have looked like there were four people in that booth. But I was there, and I can tell you. There were only three. A grumpy southern boy, a logical Vulcan, and the luckiest blond in the universe. For one shining moment, we were just kids. Those bright neon lights of Keeler's keeping the darkness at bay. Giving way, as all nights must, to a morning of reckonings.

(***)

They were in biology class listening to the teacher drone on about the human biology when Comsol and Sheriff Sulu walked in. scotty looked up as Jim and Spock turned around. Sulu was sitting next to a terrified looking Carol who stood up.

"You're here for me, aren't you? Because of the autopsy?"

"We don't need to do this in front of your classmates, Carol," the sheriff said.

"It's okay," she held her hands out to be handcuffed. "They'll find out soon enough.

Jim looked from Carol to the sheriff and back. "Carol, find out what?"

"That I'm guilty," Carol stated with tears in her eyes.

As shocking as those three words were, they were nothing compared to the secrets that Gary's body had given up during its autopsy. Because Gary didn't die on July fourth, as we believed, but over a week later.


End file.
